


Five Reasons Why Skyfire Enjoys Life at the Ark

by laurus_nobilis



Category: Transformers (Cartoon Generation One)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-05
Updated: 2012-12-05
Packaged: 2017-11-20 08:27:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/583290
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurus_nobilis/pseuds/laurus_nobilis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skyfire gets used to life with the Autobots.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Reasons Why Skyfire Enjoys Life at the Ark

**i. Top-quality health care**

"There you go," Ratchet said, closing the panel he'd last been working on. "Can't quite say 'good as new', but it's the best I can do with what I've got here."

"Thank you," said Skyfire. If the medic's work truly left something to be desired, it was the kind of thing that could only be noticed by an expert. He had no complaints at all; quite the contrary. "I feel so much better already…"

"Well, of course you do! Not that it was so hard to get you better than you _were_. Honestly, what were you all thinking? Long distance travel, right after getting you out? And to the middle of a battle, no less! Full medical check-up, _that_ was the first priority."

"Ah, well… it was a bit of an emergency," he replied, not quite sure if he was defending himself or the others or both. Ratchet gave him a look that made him shut up immediately.

"It was stupid, that's what it was. You're lucky you didn't drop like a rock in the middle of the ocean or something," he said. "It's great that you want to help, really, but if you ever let anyone talk you into pulling a stunt like that again I'm going to let _Wheeljack_ fix you when you crash."

Skyfire couldn't help but wince. What little time he'd spent with Wheeljack had been enough to understand the full meaning behind those words – by the engineer's own admission, even.

"It won't happen again," he promised.

"Good," Ratchet said, clearly satisfied. "You can go now. Remember to get all the proper firewalls. And you might want to look into some upgrades, too. Just-"

"Not from Wheeljack," Skyfire finished, unable to hold back a grin. "Of course."

 

**ii. Multidisciplinary teams**

Brawn was one of the first Autobots he had befriended, and Skyfire found getting along with him so easy that he was quite confused when he realized the others thought this was _surprising_. Apparently the Minibot had a reputation for not being too fond of the peaceful, scientific type.

In the end, it was Brawn himself who inadvertently cleared the issue. He had insisted on getting Skyfire new weapons to replace his old, battered ones, and they were trying them out when everything fell into place.

"You know," the Minibot said, "you're a pretty good shot for a scientist." 

Skyfire had to hold back a chuckle at that. So _that_ was what made him the exception, then.

"Well, the kind of work I did was… unpredictable. I had to be ready to defend myself if it was necessary," he explained. "I must be honest, I've always tried to avoid violence. If I had a choice, I'd much rather not fight at all. But I suppose I have no such luck," he added with a half smile.

"Look," said Brawn, "as long as you do your job, no one's going to ask you to _like_ it."

That was when Skyfire decided that Brawn's bad reputation was entirely unfounded.

 

**iii. State-of-the-art technology**

"It's gonna be hard to believe, I guess, but things didn't really change _that_ much. Not in this line of work, at least," Wheeljack told him, as he tinkered with his latest gadget. "Between the war and the energy shortage, people just got other things to worry about, y'know? And even the best inventions couldn't be mass-produced. I was lucky I got to keep my lab at all, back in Cybertron."

It was hard to believe. Skyfire had been almost prepared (or so he'd thought, at least) to face the fact that science had advanced far beyond his knowledge in all this time, but in a way, this was even worse. It was still difficult to wrap his mind around the idea that this war wasn't just about a few soldiers here on Earth; that his whole planet had suffered for it.

"I suppose I won't have so much trouble to catch up, then," he sighed, and his smiled faltered a bit in spite of his best efforts. Wheeljack must have noticed, because he changed the tone of the conversation immediately.

"It's different _here_ , though! I hadn't been this productive in ages," the engineer assured him. Then he tilted his head, as if an idea had just occurred to him. "Say, would you like to come and join me sometimes? I know it's not really your field, but it could be fun."

His natural cheerfulness was contagious, and Skyfire found himself agreeing before he even had time to think about it.

"I'm sure it would," he replied. "I'd like that."

"Great! I could really use the help. For some mysterious reason," Wheeljack joked, "I can never keep a lab partner…"

"Well, what's science if not taking risks?" he laughed. "Let me look at those diagrams…"

 

**iv. An exciting scientific environment**

It didn't take long for Skyfire to officially join the Autobots' science team. Even if his work was bound to be interrupted whenever someone needed a ride, the chance to be doing something he truly loved was more than appreciated. And he enjoyed the company, too.

"Fascinating," Perceptor muttered to himself, analizing the latest mineral samples Beachcomber had brought, and the sheer _delight_ in his voice was more than noticeable.

Skyfire couldn't help but grin to himself. Those two were different as night and day, and yet it wasn't surprising that they got along so well. They had the same enthusiasm, the same sense of wonder about the world around them, and that was enough to make the unlikeliest of people connect--

\--no. That line of thought was just about to get out of hand. He had better things to be thinking about, Skyfire reminded himself. Like the results of Beachcomber's latest trip.

"It's true. These really are very interesting…" he began.

"You should come, next time," said Beachcomber. Skyfire nodded to himself, half expecting a comment about the amount of material they could bring that way, when the other went on. "That little creek is so peaceful. Relaxing. You'd like it."

Smiling was getting easier and easier, these days.

"Then I will."

 

**v. Free counselling**

Even though he had been staying at the Ark for a while already, Skyfire still wasn't quite sure of what to make of Optimus Prime. It wasn't that he disliked or distrusted the Autobot leader; quite the contrary. But the others seemed to treat him with a strange mix of respect and familiarity that could only be achieved by knowing each other for a long time, and he hadn't had that luxury. He still felt a little awkward around him, truth be told.

So it was more than a bit surprising when Prime himself approached him, not in any official manner, but just by sitting down next to him when he was alone in the lab.

"You have been keeping yourself busy," he said simply.

Skyfire was startled for a moment, but then he let himself smile a little, resigned. He had noticed, of course. There was no point in trying to deny that – or anything else implied in that statement, for that matter.

"It helps," he replied. He paused for a moment, then added, "Everything helps. _Everyone_. I'm happy here. It's just that I sometimes need… to keep myself from thinking too much, for a while. If that makes sense."

It was strange, the way words came so naturally to him. Skyfire would have thought that Prime's presence would be intimidating, and yet it seemed to make things _easier_ , somehow.

"There isn't much I can do for you, I'm afraid," he said, and his concern was obviously genuine. "But I can listen, at least. If you ever need to talk."

Skyfire didn't have time to think of a proper reply – a polite way to say that he wasn't ready for that quite _yet_ – when he realized that he wasn't going to need one. That hadn't been Prime's idea, it seemed; he just gave him a friendly pat on the arm and left. Whatever happened next was entirely up to Skyfire himself.

Perhaps, he thought, he would take up the offer one of these days.


End file.
